The parliament’s budget session is scheduled to start on January 31 and run until April 4. The Union Budget 2025 under the Narendra Modi 3.0 government will be presented in February by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This time she is set to make history by presenting her 8th consecutive budget. She has presented seven straight budgets, including an interim one in February in 2024.She also holds the record for the longest budget speech, delivered on February 1, 2020, which lasted two hours and 40 minutes.

As she prepares to deliver the country’s next budget, much of the pre-budget discussion in the media is centered around whether the middle class will receive relief through a reduction in income tax. Let’s take a closer look at her journey from being an alumna of Jawaharlal Nehru University to becoming India’s finance minister.

Early Life and Education:

According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman was born on 18th August 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling and her graduation in economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli. She went on to do her master’s in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Indo-European textile trade was the focus of her draft PhD thesis.

Nirmala Sitharaman served as an assistant to an economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association, UK, in London. She subsequently worked as a senior manager (research and analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London. During this time she also briefly worked with BBC World Service.

On her return to India, she served as the deputy director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad. Her interest in education led her to lay the foundation of ‘Pranava’, a reputed school in Hyderabad. She was a member of the National Commission for Women from 2003-05 and instrumental in voicing various issues of women’s empowerment.

Her Entry into Politics and Role as Finance Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in 2008 and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010, from when she has been a full-time party worker.

Nirmala Sitharaman was inducted into the Union of India’s Cabinet in a government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26th May 2014. She was made a Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry. In addition, she was also made Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

Personal Life

Nirmala Sitharaman is married to Dr Parakala Prabhakar, an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and the London School of Economics, and they have one daughter.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s journey from a middle-class upbringing to becoming one of the most powerful female leaders in Indian politics is a story of perseverance, intellect, and dedication.

Dr. Gobardhan Das, Professor at the School of Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and the BJP’s candidate in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls has quit the party. Last week he took charge as Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal.

“Before accepting my position (as Director) I have resigned from any political association. I have nothing whatsoever to do with any political outfit,” he told The Hindu on Friday. Dr. Das, a professor of immunology, was active on social media during the pandemic and – before COVID vaccines were available – was an advocate for the use of the BCG vaccine (used to immunise against childhood TB), as a prophylactic against the coronavirus. He was also a very vocal, political commentator and had participated in television debates as a “BJP leader” on a range of issues.

Lost assembly contest

Dr. Das, who contested on a BJP ticket in the Purbasthali Uttar (Purba Bardhaman) constituency, lost to Tapan Chatterjee of the AITMC by 6,700 votes, during the campaign he had raised concerns about violence directed at him by AITMC workers.

While Dr. Das has been off X (formerly Twitter) all of this month, his last post on 24^th July ‘23 had political overtones: “Met @SuvenduWB ji at his Kolkata home and discussed the perilous law and order situation in my beloved Bengal. When a sitting DIG can brazenly refute the video-graphed assault on our BJP lady karyakarta, what else is left to say?”

Dr. Das told The Hindu that he had always separated his “scientific life” and “political life” and, in his new role, would be “far away from politics.” “As a professor, I contested elections with permission from my university (JNU). Even then (during electioneering) when I was in my lab or at university, I did not utter a single word on politics. I’m neutral and will be focussing my time and energy on ensuring that IISER Bhopal scales new heights of excellence.”

IISER Bhopal is among the seven such institutes that come under the Ministry of Education and were conceived to train students in the basic sciences and prepare them for research careers. Being centrally funded, faculty and administrators are bound by CCS (Central Civil Services) government conduct rules that bar them from political activities during service.

He said BJP was supportive of his decision, he was “encouraged and given the freedom” to pursue his interests.